Quick release magnetic latch for copier exposure station

ABSTRACT

A latch for a copier exposure station including laterally slideable ferromagnetic members that coact with underlying stationary ferromagnetic members. The latch finds particular utility in a duel-blanket exposure station.

United States Patent 15 3,694,078 Bookless 1 Sept. 26, 1972 [541 QUICK RELEASE MAGNETIC LATCH [56] References Cited FOR COPIER EXPOSURE STATION U D STATES PATENTS [72] Inventor: George W. Bookless, Franklin Park,

111. 777,097 12/1904 Herman ..355/117 3,445,164 5/1969 Browning..; ..355/82 [73] Assgnee' fi chcagm 3,478,658 11/1969 Yow-Jiun 1111 eta1...355/40X 1221 Filed: Nov-27,197 Primary Examiner-Joseph F. Peters, Jr. 211 pp No; 93 211 Attorney-Jack H. Hall [57] ABSTRACT [52 US. Cl. ..355/7s,.355/99, 355/113 A latch for a copier exposure Station includmg [51] Int. Cl. ..G03b 27/62 laterally Slideable ferromagnetic members that coact [58] Field of Search ..355/72, 74, 75, 71, 82, 99,

with underlying stationary ferromagnetic members. The latch finds particular utility in a duel-blanket exposure station.

- 3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDsms I912 N IrLUeniZZrT': $660196 CU-fiookless. gym/ BACKGROUND-SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an improved latching mechanism. It finds special utility in a copier exposure station which includes a plurality of cover sheets overlying the exposure window. Such an exposure station forms the subject of copending US. Pat. application, Ser. No. 39,757, filed May 22, 1970, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

In the exposure station of the aforementioned type a transparent editing blanket directly overlies the exposure window and a conventional opaque blanket overlies the editing blanket. As treated in detail in said copending application it is desirable to selectively raise the blankets individually or together. To accomplish this result great care must be taken in designing a latch to insure that it will neither mar the surface of the exposurewindow nor mutilate any documents that are to be copied.

All of these problems are avoided in the design of this invention. A handle is provided that includes transversely movable magnets. The magnets register with another set of magnets or ferromagnetic material such as steel when both blankets are to be raised simultaneously. By transversely moving the magnets out of registry with the corresponding magnets or ferromagnetic material the blankets may be lifted separately.

- BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF TI-IEDRAWINGS DETAILED DESCRIPTION This assembly is movable transversely in the cutouts and is spring biased rightwardly by a spring 28 connected at one end 32 to the right L-shaped channel 24 and at the other end to a post 30 that is rigidly secured to the U-shaped member 18.

Two pairs of magnets 34 are rigidly afiixed to the right and left L-shaped channels 24. The magnets 34 are free to move transversely in slots 38 which are formed in the U-shaped member 18.

In FIG. 2 it is shown that the U-shaped member 18 rigidly grips the opaque cover 16. A slot 36 has been Referring now to FIG. 1 an exposure station. indicated generally by the reference numeral 10 may be seen. This invention has general applicability and consequently neither has the copier been illustrated nor is the invention limited to an exposure station.

The depicted exposure station 10 includes an exposure window 12, an editing blanket 14, and an opaque cover 16. The exposure window 12 is of conventional design and is where a document to be copied is normally placed face down. The relationship of the editing blanket 14 and the opaque blanket 16 is more fully explained in copending application, Ser. No. 39,757. Suffice it to say that at times it is desirable to lift both simultaneously for insertion or removal of a document and at others it is desirable to raise only the opaque blanket 16 to visually determine the registration of a document.

The preferred latching mechanism includes a U- shaped member 18. Included in the U-shaped member 18 are two transversely elongated cutouts 20. The cutouts 20 provide a means for mounting a handle 22 and a pair of L-shaped channels 24 by a set of screws 26.

formed in the U-shaped member 18, the blanket 16 inserted and the slotted portion compressed to tightly grip the blanket 16. However, any means of affixing the blanket 16 to the U-shaped member 18 would be satisfactory.

In FIGS. 2 and 3 four magnets 40 are secured in the editing blanket 14. In the position shown in FIGS. l-3 the four upper magnets 34 register with the four lower magnets 40. Because the magnets have faces of opposite polarity contiguous with each other the blankets l4, 16 are held together and may be raised simultaneously.

It is apparent that even though pairs of magnets have been depicted, combinations of magnets and ferromagnetic material such as iron, steel and the like could be satisfactorily utilized.

Referring to FIG. 4, the handle 22 and in consequence the magnets 34 have been moved leftwardly. Since the motion is transverse to the lines of magnetic flux such a displacement is relatively easy even for latches that have great holding strengths. Now that the corresponding pairs of magnets 34,40 are out of registry, their attractive force is nil and the opaque blanket 16 may be lifted without raising the editing blanket 14.

Thus, a new latch has been described and it is clear that many variations exist which have not been described in this preferred embodiment but are a part of the invention described in the appended claims.

The embodiment of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In a copier exposure station the combination comprising:

a transparent exposure window;

first and second blankets overlying and co-extensive with said exposure window; and

single handle means for selectively raising either the uppermost of said first and second blankets only or both of said blankets simultaneously by means of said handle.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said first blanket is uppermost and opaque, and said second blanket is lowermost and transparent.

3. In an exposure station the combination comprismg:

a transparent exposure window;

a transparent editing blanket for covering said window;

an opaque cover for covering said editing blanket;

means for pivotally attaching said editing blanket and said opaque cover to said station;

handle means attached to said opaque cover;

said handle means including latch means selectively engageable and disengageable with coacting means disposed on said editing blanket for permitting either said opaque cover alone or both said opaque cover and said editing blanket to be raised by said handle means. 

1. In a copier exposure station the combination comprising: a transparent exposure window; first and second blankets overlying and co-extensive with said exposure window; and single handle means for selectively raising either the uppermost of said first and second blankets only or both of said blankets simultaneously by means of said handle.
 2. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said first blanket is uppermost and opaque, and said second blanket is lowermost and transparent.
 3. In an exposure station the combination comprising: a transparent exposure window; a transparent editing blanket for covering said window; an opaque cover for covering said editing blanket; means for pivotally attaching said editing blanket and said opaque cover to said station; handle means attached to said opaque cover; said handle means including latch means selectively engageable and disengageable with coacting means disposed on said editing blanket for permitting either said opaque cover alone or both said opaque cover and said editing blanket to be raised by said handle means. 